Improvement in water-proofing compounds for canvas and other fabrics



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PETER H. MORGAN, OF BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, ASSIGNOR TO THE GRAN- ITE ROOFING OOMPAN Y, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-PROQFING COMPOUNDS FOR CANVAS AND OTHER FABRICS.

Specificationforming part of Letters Patent No. 139,017, dated May 20, 1873; application filed l March 24, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER H. MORGAN, of the city of Baltimore and State of Maryland, have invented a new and useful 1mproved Mode of Preparing Cotton Canvas and other Textile Fabrics, in making water-proof coverings for the decks of steamboats and,

other vessels, of which the followingis a specification:

Heretofore cotton duck or canvas has been used by being stretched and nailed securely to vessels decks, and then painted to waterproof them; but this has been found too expensive and unreliable to meet with general use. The object of my invention is to furnish a water-proof covering for vessels decks, and other like purposes, that, while it shall be more efiicient and durable,'can be furnished at a much less cost than painted duck, and at the same time more readily and-quickly applied for immediate use.

The nature of my invention consists in treatin g cotton canvas or other suitable textile'fabrics with the followingingredients, compounded in proportions about as follows:

I take sixty gallons of the ordinary commercial coal-gas tar, in which a portion of naphtha is always left remaining, and relieve it, by boiling and skimming, of said naphtha to the amount of one-twelfth the bulk of coal-tar 5 I then take the remaining fifty-five gallons, and

allow it to cool somewhatin temperature; Ithen add to the fifty-five gallons of coal-tar five gallons of North Carolina or pine tar and from one to three gallons of, prickly-pear tar, and mix them well under moderate heat. I then take four and one-half bushels of fine, clean, sharp sand, four and one-half bushels of blue or other clay, (blue clay containing copper is greatly preferable,) calcined and ground, and one-half bushel of ground. marble, and mix them thoroughly together when dry. Thismixture is then slowly sifted into the tar mixture hereinbefore described, care being taken that it is well stirred into the tar while being added. I then take equal parts of pulverized asbestus, soap-stone, charcoal, and sweepings or refuse fibers from looms, (left from the manufacture of fiber goods,) or hard-wood saw-dust, and mix them together, after which I take onehalf bushel of this mixture and add it to the tar mixture, and, after fully incorporating the mass by stirring, I then add from five to ten pounds of sulphur; when this is well diffused throughout the mixture, I then add of calcined plaster and hydraulic cement, mixed'in equal parts together, from one to one and one-half gallon. The whole mass is then cooked by slow fire or steam-jacket (the latter is preferable) for about two or two and one-half hours, when the compound is ready for treating or water-proofing the canvas or cloth. This is done by flowing the hot compound, by machinery or otherwise, upon the face of the cloth, where it is spread evenly and smoothly to any depth or consistency that may be desired. The face of the compound, after being spread upon the cloth, and while yet hot, is sprinkled over with ground rock, sand, or other like sub-' stances, which is rolled compactly and smoothly into its surface, imparting to it a stone-like face, yet sufiiciently pliable and elastic not to rupture on being handled or rolled up. The cloth or canvas is now ready for use, and is readily applied to the decks of vessels by bein g laid thereon and tacked or cemented thereto, as may be desired, the tack-heads and joints being securely covered and rendered water-proof by being coated over with the hot compound herein described for water-proofing the canvas.

The prickly-pear tar hereinbefore mentioned, as an ingredient in the water-proofing compound, is one of its essential elements, imparting to the coating great toughness and elasticity, and prevents scaling or cracking of the coating from harsh usage or action of the weather. Another important feature in preparing the compound for water-proofing canvas, &c., is calcining the clay. The advantages in the use of calcined clay over the raw clay heretofore used in water-proofing is, that while raw clay is affected by moisture and heat, and tends to impair the qualityof the water-proofing, the calcined clay acts as acement, and is improved rather than deteriorated by the action of moisture and heat incident to exposure to weather.

Ground cork or woolen flock may be used instead of ground rock or sand for treating the the purpose substantially as described.

3. The combination with calcined clay of of the ingredient herein described, for the purpose herein set forth.

PETER H. MORGAN.

Witnesses t G. H. SLIsER, WM. H. BAYZAUD. 

